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The most visible endpoint security tools, October 2026

October 2026 · 12 questions asked in English, worldwide · ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode · 96 answers read

Most cited source

gartner.com

48citations

From Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT

Where engines disagree most

Sophos

1/4engines put it in their top three

Top three on ChatGPT, not on Google AI Mode, Gemini and Google AI Overviews

Brands

Rank Brand Heralded Score Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
1 SentinelOne US 77 , range 72–83 81% 46% First reading
= 2 CrowdStrike US 77 , range 72–82 84% 42% First reading
= 2 Microsoft Defender US 77 , range 71–82 75% 51% First reading
4 Sophos GB 72 , range 61–78 69% 41% First reading
5 Bitdefender RO 54 , range 45–68 52% 29% First reading
6 ESET SK 36 , range 31–44 29% 15% None First reading
7 Palo Alto Cortex US 36 , range 29–43 23% 19% First reading
8 Huntress US 27 , range 18–35 15% 10% None First reading
9 Fortinet US 18 , range 12–29 13% 2% First reading
= 10 Symantec US 15 , range 10–26 9% 2% None First reading

“=” marks brands whose score ranges overlap, so the test cannot separate them. Every brand named in at least three answers is ranked. By engine has one dot per engine (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode), darker the more often it names the brand.

Most cited sources

Rank Source Type Cited in Engines Pages cited Brands its pages mention
1 slashdot.org Media 4.2% 1 of 4 4 0
2Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
3Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
4Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
5 zdnet.com Media 2.1% 1 of 4 1 0
6Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
7Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
8 newswire.com Media 1.0% 1 of 4 1 0
9 security.org Media 1.0% 1 of 4 1 0
10Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.

The questions, and who wins each

QuestionLanguageWins it
best endpoint security software for a mid-market company English Microsoft Defender, SentinelOne and Sophos, tied
endpoint security software recommendations for a CISO English Microsoft Defender and SentinelOne, tied
top endpoint security software English Microsoft Defender
how to choose endpoint security software English CrowdStrike, Cynet, Huntress, Microsoft Defender and SentinelOne, tied
what to look for in endpoint security software English ESET and Sophos, tied
endpoint security software for a team of 20 to 200 English Microsoft Defender
endpoint security software that integrates with Splunk English CrowdStrike and SentinelOne, tied
endpoint security software with GDPR-compliant hosting English ESET and Sophos, tied
endpoint security software for healthcare English CrowdStrike and SentinelOne, tied
most reliable endpoint security software English Microsoft Defender

Each engine's top three

Method

Each month Heralded asks every engine the same buyer questions, twice each, and reads every answer. An answer counts 0 for a brand it leaves out, 50 for a brand it names and 100 for a brand it recommends, and the Heralded Score is built from those. A brand named in at least three answers gets a score and a place.

How the leaderboards are measured